Throughout this letter, the apostle John sets forth tests so that you can know that you have real life with God. The first test, living to please God, is described in this section. When you know that you are living to please God, you know that you have a relationship with God and have assurance of salvation.…

God is “light” - perfectly holy, true, good and just. Yet, He desires to have fellowship with each of us. However, we’re not perfect; we all have darkness (sin) in our lives. If we claim to have a relationship with God while continuing to live in sin, we’re deceiving ourselves. The only way to be cleansed of our sin is to place our faith in Jes ...…

John’s three epistles could be called love letters, because in studying them you’ll discover the status of your relationship with God. Join us as we contemplate the benefits of God’s love. Ideally, all of us will intimately know that love.

This week we are learned about the Spirit-filled prayer life. There is much that we can learn about a proper theology of prayer, but perhaps the most important need is to be people of prayer. Knowing about prayer without praying is as ineffective as praying passionately to a false god. Join us as we discover the elements of a Spirit-filled pray ...…

The Christian Life is a battleground, not a playground. If you try to live for Jesus, you will have struggles with your flesh, conflict with the culture opposed to God, and spiritual battles. There is a danger in blaming all of your responses to temptation on the devil (e.g. "The devil made me do it"), and there is an equal or greater danger to ...…

The problem with work has less to do with our ability to save money for retirement, paying off debt, benefits, feeling under appreciated by our employer, but has everything to do with a wrong perspective and understanding. Paul wants us to see that there is a greater purpose and motivation at work underneath an employee and employer’s relations ...…

Parents want their children to enjoy a better life. They hope to provide love, a comfortable home, good education, safe environment, nice clothes and stuff, extra-curricular activities, and more. Yet, the most important thing that parents can do for our children is to prepare them to follow Jesus well. That should be the priority, because it wi ...…

The largest problems impacting marriage include: unreasonable expectations, inadequate spiritual and emotional preparation pre-marriage, and lack of meaningful spiritual and emotional support once married. God has made abundant resources available so that we can enjoy thriving marriages. These include the Bible, prayer, pastors, counselors, and ...…

The key to following Jesus, obeying God, and living as the Lord has called us to live is to be filled with the Spirit. This is a critical truth all believers need to understand. If we don’t recognize this fact, we’ll be tempted to try to live for God in our own strength, and we’ll experience frustration, discouragement, and failure. The Spirit ...…

The purpose of prophecy is motivation not speculation. Understanding the times and the prophecies should be a source of hope that produces perseverance, purity, preparation, and proclamation of the gospel. How do recent events align with Bible prophecy? What might it reveal about the 2nd Coming of Christ? And how should the thought of Christ’s ...…

Where can you find contentment? This is the great philosophical quest of the ages. The world’s two primary paths are: The pursuit of sensual pleasure (e.g. food, drink, sex) or indifference to pleasure and pain. Neither way provides contentment, but there is a way to experience true contentment that we’ll discover……

Following Jesus changes everything. You are a new person in Christ [2 Cor. 5:17]. As soon as you receive Jesus, your position with God changes. Yet, in practice it takes time to stop living like unbelievers and start living like followers of Jesus. Today we learn what that looks like, and how to do it.…

As followers of Jesus, we have each been given a unique calling and have been equipped to fulfill that calling through distinct gifts He has given us. When we discover our calling and use our gifts, the Church is edified and we are satisfied.

Followers of Jesus need to grow in their appreciation for their position in Christ which will impact how they live for Christ. This appreciation is related to experiencing the love of Christ. In this study, we discover how to experience the love of Christ.

Followers of Christ are part of the most amazing entity ever imagined – The Church, and are to experience Jesus together. When that position is experienced in practice, the love displayed by God’s people for God, other believers, and neighbors generally is incredibly attractive.

Spiritual life is to be lived in community. God created us for community with Him and others. We are hard-wired for community, but our culture is disconnected from God and others. Jesus removes barriers between you and God, and you and others so that you can experience community with God and others. Today we’ll discover how and why to experienc ...…

God’s Word reveals there are two different kinds of life: physical and spiritual. Because of sin, every human being is born with physical life, but comes into this world spiritually dead. Only God can make a spiritually dead person alive, and the only way to spiritual life is through faith in Jesus Christ. God has a plan for those He makes aliv ...…

This week we focus on the blessings of being in Christ. We are reminded that it is God’s nature to bless His people so that they will be content. There are many people who aren’t content, or are only content when their material circumstances appear favorable. This study help us to appropriate and appreciate our blessings in Christ, and be conte ...…

“In Christ” is used 27 times in the book of Ephesians. Christ is in us and we are in Him. Believers reside in the world and in Christ. Like a scuba diver in an alien environment, the world can be a challenging environment, and a wonderful place. How can you grow in Christ in a place like Ephesus or your community?Overview video of Ephesians cre ...…

The King’s commission, or Great Commission, provides the essence of the mission for all of Jesus’ disciples. Throughout Matthew’s gospel we’ve discovered Jesus’ invitation to become citizens of His kingdom. The values and benefits of the kingdom of heaven, or kingdom of God, have been contrasted with the values and benefits of this world. God’s ...…

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the sign that He said would confirm that He is the Messiah. As we consider the resurrection, we can respond in different ways. God desires that we respond with devotion and faith so that we can experience joy.

Imagine the disciples in the midst of Jesus’ arrest, trials, and crucifixion. All of Jesus’ promises, all the prophecies, and all the anticipation related to the Coming Messiah was likely forgotten or obscured. They were frightened, confused, grieved, and hopeless. Similarly, we face difficult circumstances that seem hopeless. As we contemplate ...…

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.Rick Rusaw is the Lead Pastor at LifeBridge Church in Longmont, Colo. During his leadership, LifeBridge has become a strong community par ...…

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.Lynn Cory leads Neighborhood Initiative, which brings together pastors and congregations to show the love of Jesus in neighborhoods where ...…

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.Bruce Zachary has been a Jewish believer, Bible teacher, and pastor for more than a quarter century. Bruce is the author of sixteen books ...…

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.

Learn from experienced practitioners about the importance of rediscovering the Great Commandments to love God and your neighbors, some of the blessings, and the challenges and ways to overcome those obstacles.Tom has experience as a church planter, founding senior pastor, neighborhood pastor, executive pastor and now serves as the architect of ...…

In Matt. 22:36-39, Jesus distilled all the commandments to their essence: love God supremely and love your neighbor as you love yourself. These are the Great Commandments. Although I did seek to love my family, friends, co-workers, and those I pastored, I neglected loving my neighbors where I lived. When I realized that I didn’t love my neighbo ...…

Our culture is becoming more and more hostile to Jesus, Christianity and Christians. Being a follower of Christ in the U.S. is rapidly becoming a dangerous commitment. A time may soon be coming when it will cost us dearly to publicly acknowledge Jesus; when we’ll face great pressure to deny Him. Have you ever asked yourself, “Will I still be ab ...…

There is a struggle to remain submitted to God as pressure increases. Imagine a volleyball on top of the surface of a pool. It is easy to control the ball on the surface. The further the ball goes under water, the greater the pressure, and the ball wants to pop out. The Greek term hupomone (hupo under + meneo remain) relates to steadfast, const ...…

The apex of the Last (Passover) Supper is the Lord’s Supper or communion. Communion is not only a ceremony or ritual, but is a symbol of an intimate union with Jesus. Today, we will discover how to experience communion with Christ.

It was days before the cross, and the feast of Passover. Passover commemorates God’s deliverance from bondage in Egypt. It is critical to know that the Jews were not simply being set free from slavery, but were being set free to worship God [Ex. 5:1]. It is not only, “Let my people go” but “Let my people go that they may worship me.” We to can ...…

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign. This means that He is in complete control of human history because He writes it. When we face this reality, we can respond in different ways and our motives are often revealed. We may respond with resisting His authority, seeking personal gain or submission to His authority which will bring great joy and ...…

In order to be judged righteous in God’s eyes and be given eternal life, you must receive the righteousness of Christ. When you are righteous in Christ, it is revealed in your outward actions and your love of others as you seek to walk in the righteousness Jesus has given to you.

What does it mean to serve God? We serve and glorify God by sacrificially serving others. We are called to serve our spouse, children and parents, our fellow-workers or students, our neighbors, and in a local church or ministry. God has entrusted you with resources (time, talents, and treasure) not only for your pleasure but to advance His king ...…

What does it mean to serve God? We serve and glorify God by sacrificially serving others. We are called to serve our spouse, children and parents, our fellow-workers or students, our neighbors, and in a local church or ministry. God has entrusted you with resources (time, talents, and treasure) not only for your pleasure but to advance His king ...…

Knowing that you have eternal life, and why you have it, can give you peace, joy, love and hope that is different than the atheist who doesn’t believe in God, heaven, or hell. And is different than the misguided experience of the person who assumes everyone goes to heaven, but has no meaningful reason why. But can you know that you have eternal ...…

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